Shock absorber



1624265 April 12, 927- H. H. LOGAN SHOCK ABSORBER Filed April 12. 1926 INVENTOR ayew BY ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

UNITED STATES HENRY HAVELOCK LOGAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHOCK ABSORBER.

Application filed April 12, 1926. Serial No. 101,496.

My invention relates to improvements in shock absorbers, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a shock absorber of the liquid controlled'type which is inexpensive to manufacture and which will operate eflic'iently..

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described which has a single compartment, and novel means for controlling the movement of the parts within the compartment.

A further object of provide a device of the is accessible for repair screw;

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of the app ication, in which- .igurel is a side elevation of the devlce, as applied to a vehicle,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device,

Fi re 3 a section along the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a device.-

In carrying out my invention, I provide a casing 1 having a compartment 2 therein. The lower portion of the compartment 2 is bored out so as to form a cylinder 3 in which a piston 4 is movably disposed. The head of the piston is provided with a plurality of openings arcooperating with an annular groove in the face of the piston. A plate 6 having a plurality of relatively small openings 7 therein is disposed against the head of the piston 4, the periphery of the plate extending beyond the openings 5 my invention is to type described which by removing a s ngle fragmentary view of the The plate 6 is held in close engagement with.

the head of the piston 4 by means of a pin 8 and a s ring 9 which is disposed concentric wit the pin. The lower end of the s ring 9 is received within a recess in the piston head, and the opposite end of the sprin strikes against a cup-shapedwasher 10, w ich is held in place by a pin 11.

A connecting rod 12 is formed of two like members, each having one of their ends bent outwardly and upwardly so as to form a fork when the remaining portions of each filler plug 32 is member are placed together and electrically spot-welded. The other end of the connecting rod is pivotally secured to the piston by a piston pin 13. The piston pin 13 is held in place by split rings 14, which are partially" received within the annular recesses 15 in the piston. The forked end of the connectingv rod 12 straddles one end of a lever 16, and is pivotally secured thereto. The other end of the lever 16 is provided with a substantially square ,opening' 17, which is adapted to receive a square portion 18 of a shaft 19. The lever 16 is removably secured to the shaft 19 by a set-screw 20. The shaft 19 has a reduced portion 21 which is rotatably mounted in a recess 22 in the casing 1. The free end of the shaft 19 extends through the casing 1 and isprovided with another substantially square portion 23 upon which an arm 24 is placed and rigidly held by means of a nut 25. A plurality of. felt washers 26 is disposed concentric with the shaft 19 and held in place by a cupshaped cover 27.

A felt gasket 28 which is cut to conform to the top of the casing 1 is disposed thereon. A cover 29 having recesses 30 therein is placed upon the gasket 28 and removably secured 'in place by means of screws 31. As the screws 31 are moved downwardly.

the gasket 28vis compressed, thus forcing a the casing to the frame .35, as shown in Figure 1. The lever 24 is provided with a ball 36,

the center of the ball being in alignment with the center of the casing 1. A link 37, which is provided with ball-receiving sockets 38 and 39, is secured at one end to the ball 36, and at the opposite end to a bracket 40. The bracket 40 is provided with a ball 41, which is received within the socket 39. The bracket 40 is disposed between'a sprin 42 and an axle 43 and rigidly secured in ace.

From the foregoing description 0 the various parts of the device, the o oration thereof may be readily understo The first removed and the compartment 2 is filled with a lubricating oil. The oil can be of any desired grade. It is obvious, however, that if a heavy oil is placed within the compartment, the piston will move more slowly than if a lighter grade of oil is placed therein. After the oil has been laced within the compartment, and the filltar plug 32 is again put in place, the device is ready to be used.

Let us assume that the axle 43 is forced upwardly against the tension of the spring 42. In this upward movement, the lever 37 will move upwardly, causing the lever 24: to rotate the shaft 19 in a counter-clockwise direction, and by so doing the lever 16,'together with the connecting rod 12, pulls the piston 4 upwardly. As the piston 4 is moved upwardly it is moved against the body of Oll. which is within and above the piston. The body of oil forces against the plate-6, causing the plate to move downwardly against the tension of the spring 9, and permitting the oil to flow freely through the openings 5 within the piston. It is obvious that a portion of the oil will flow through the openings 7 in the plate 6, but they are not sufiiciently large to permit the oil to flow through the piston at a relatively great s eed.

As the axle 43 is forced downwardly into normal position bythe spring 42, the link 37 is also pulled downwardly causing the lever 24 to rotate the shaft 19 in a clockwise direction. During this movement the lever 16, together with the connecting rod 12 forces the piston 4 downwardly against the body of oil which is beneath the piston. In the movement downwardly of the piston 4, the body of oil beneath the piston is permitted to escape only through the small openings 7 in the plate 6. In this manner the iston 4 is only allowed to move downwar 1y at a relatively slowfrate of s eed.

This is the means forcausing the ax e 43 to return to its normal position at a slow rate of speed whereby the vehicle will not be jarred.

It is obvious that the movement downwardl of the piston 4 is governed by the size 0 the openings 7 within the plate 6. To vary the speed of the piston 4, plates having larger ,or smaller openings therein can be substituted for the plate 6. To remove the plate 6 the cover 29 is first removed from the casing 1, then by loosening the set-screw 20 a sufiicient distance the shaft 19 can be moved from the casing 1, thus permitting the lever 16, the connecting rod 12, and the piston 4 to be removed from the casing 1. By pressing upon the cup-shaped washer 10 against the tension of the spring 9 a suflicient distance, the pin 11 can readily be removed from the pin 8. In this mannerthe washer 10 and the -spring 9 can be removed from the pin 8, and the pin 8 removed from menace the piston 4, thus freeing the plate 6. A new plate can be placed against the piston 4 and the pin 8 again secured in place.

I claim:

1. A shock absorber comprising a casing having a single compartment therein adapted to contain a'liquid, a portion of said compartment being fashioned into a cylinder, a piston movably disposed in said cylinder, and having a plurality of relatively large openings therein, and a spring-pressed plate disposed over the openings, said plate being adapted to move free from said piston, whereby the liquid may flow through the openings in said piston durin the movement of the piston upwardly, sai plate having relatively small openings therein,,whereby the speed of the piston is limited during the downward movement ofthe piston. I

2. The combination with an automobile having a frame, an axle, and a spring, of a shock absorber comprising a casing rigidly mounted upon said frame and having a compartment therein, a portion of the compart ment being fashioned int'e a relatively short cylinder, said cylinder being positioned away from the bottom of said compartment a relatively shortpiston movably disposed in said cylinder, means for operativel connecting said, piston to said axle an said spring, and means for permitting said axle and said piston to freely move upwardly and for limiting the speed of said axle and said piston in their movement downwardly.

...A shock absorber comprising a casing haying a compartment therein adapted to contain a liquid, a portionof said compartment being fashioned into a relativel short cylinder, said cylinder being positioned away from the bottom of said com artment, a relatively short piston movably disposed in said cylinder, and means for movlng said piston upwardly, said piston having relatively. large 0 enmgs therein for permitting the liquid to eely flow therethrough, whereby said piston may be moved upwardly at a relatively great speed.

4. In a device of the type described, a casing, a cylinder in said casing, a piston slidably disposed in said cylinder, a shaft being rotatably mounted in said casing and having flattened portions thereon, a relatively short lever having an opening adapted to receive one of the flattened portions of said shaft, means for operatively connecting said relatively short lever to said piston, a relatively long lever having an opening therein adapted to receive the other flattened portion of said shaft, and a ball disposed upon the free end of said relatively ong lever, the center line of said'ball being in direct alignment with the center line of said relatively short lever.

5.. 'ln a device of the type described, a

relatively short piston having relatively large openings in the lower end thereof, the

lower end said piston having an annular ve communicating with said openings, a

late having relatively small openings there- 1n disposed adjacent the lower end of said piston, and spring-pressed means for holding said plate adjacent said piston.

6. In a device of the type described, a

relatively short piston having relatively large openings in the lower end thereof, the

lower end of said piston having an annular groove communicating with said openings,

a plate having relatively small openings therein disposed adjacent the lower end of said piston, spring-pressed means for holding said plate adjacent said piston, said means comprising a relativel large pin disposed through sald plate an the lower end of said piston and provided with an enlarged head portion adapted to bear against the lower surface of said plate, a compression spring disposed concentric with said relatively large pin, a cup-shaped washer disposed concentric with said relatively large pin, and a relatively small pin dis- 25 osed within an opening in said relatively arge pin and adapted to be held in place by said cup-shaped washer.

HENRY HAVELOCK LOGAN. 

